


Succession

by Lumakiri



Series: A Life Lived with Marin [5]
Category: Linked Universe - Fandom, The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Fable and Legend are siblings, I liked how I wrote Legend here so, Mentioned Character Death, Sad Times With Legend, Sorrel and Felix are married, Wrote this ages ago and remembered it existed so why not
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-10
Updated: 2021-01-10
Packaged: 2021-03-13 19:48:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,119
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28658988
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lumakiri/pseuds/Lumakiri
Summary: Legend has been resisting his sister's demands for him to have his title restored for years. He should have known his sister would win, one day. He should have known Fable would know he'd give in eventually. He should have known a lot of things.But he didn't.
Relationships: Fable & Legend (Linked Universe), Link & Zelda (Legend of Zelda), Link/Marin (Legend of Zelda)
Series: A Life Lived with Marin [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1796170
Comments: 2
Kudos: 25





	Succession

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this like six months ago and forgot about it in my google docs. I liked how I wrote Legend, so I'm putting it up, especially as Seasalt and Fireflies got such a warm reception. I'm still sad that the additional stories of this AU will never see the light of day, but I want to put out everything I have completed. I want it to be seen. I love my girl too much, and I love Julian's lad Felix. 
> 
> Thank you, again, to those who support us. You are wonderful people, and we are happier than ever.

The rap at his door that morning set the cadence for the whole day; brisk, sharp and unexpected. Something about it sets him on edge, and he's out of his chair and to the door before his wife can even respond. 

At any other time, he'd be proud of such reflexes for an arthritic retired hero approaching his fifties. 

At any other time, that is, any time where his sister's two armed guards aren't standing on his doorstep. A dozen different scenarios run through his mind at their grim faces, and without even thinking his hand is reaching for the sword mounted over the door. 

"The weapon won't be necessary, sir, the Queen just requests your presence as a matter of urgency."

Legend takes the sword anyway. 

They won’t tell him anything on the walk up to the castle, they’re stoic and tight lipped and Legend hates it. Anger and fear swirls in his gut. This is not normal, Fable doesn’t send her personal detail -  _ Fable hates having guards -  _ She’d walk down to his house herself if this was just a pleasant breakfast catch up.

All this? This means it’s something  _ official _ , and that means one of three things.

He can’t decide which would be preferable.

When he reaches the castle grounds and is quickly shuffled through and up to Fable’s personal chambers, his sense of dread only increases. All eyes are on him. This entire castle knows something he doesn’t, and he can’t stand it. His hand reflexively tightens around the grip of his sword. He knows every secret passage in this place, he’s dragged his sister to safety out of this palatial prison before now. He’ll do it again.

The tension ripples through him so strongly that it’s almost underwhelming when Fable greets him with a tired smile and a set of cream papers, writing ink smudged on her white gloves.

This is unexpected, and therefore it is worse. Legend would’ve preferred a declaration of war.

He knows these papers well.

Fable waves away his escorts, and shuts the door behind them with a click. When she pulls him into a tight hug, he’s suddenly aware of how frail she feels. She’s only a few years older than him, but the white that runs through her hair and the wrinkles on her brow as she returns his familial scowl reminds him they’re not getting any younger.

“You look like you’ve seen a ghost! I did tell them not to be so severe. Come, we have much to discuss,” Her tone is far too airy for the look in her eyes, and none of this sits well with him.

He’s struck by the realisation it does feel like he’s seen a ghost, and that makes him feel very cold indeed.

“We’ve discussed this a dozen times before, Zel, I don’t need or want this title. This isn’t what I wanted then, it isn’t what I want now-”

Her mouth forms into a thin line and she stares at him, coldly. At once, she is not his sister, she is his monarch, and her words are edged with the thinly veiled threat of a politician.

“This isn’t about what you want, anymore. This is about Hyrule and its future.”

Her hands are trembling. His attention is drawn immediately to this, and then upwards to the pallor of her skin and the beads of sweat on her brow.

“Zelda, what’s wrong?”

She has the gall to wave it away.

“Nothing, just a slight fever - that’s not why we’re here. We’re here because I am of an age where one must prepare for the future, and I am well beyond any child bearing age. We are a heirless kingdom, Link, and I can’t have it fall into civil war as the nobles squabble over who should replace me. You’ve worked too hard to save it, I’ve spent my life rebuilding it.”

“If you’re asking me to be a  _ king _ , Zel, that’s a resounding fucking no.”

He knows she’s lying about the fever, and he tries to ignore it.

“I would never ask you, because I know your answer - but there is a way we can keep mother’s blood on the throne. Someone who I trust, who you would trust, to keep Hyrule safe for us when we’re gone.”

Legend slides the papers in his hands. One is familiar, re-written on fresh paper but the words are the same. It’s a declaration of his legitimacy as a child of the Late Queen Zelda, his title of Prince to be returned to him when it never should’ve been stripped away. It’s a document that demands the Kingdom apologise for what it did to him as a child, when it asked for his blood as payment for a Queen’s misdeeds. Legend does not want their apology. The entire kingdom knows who he is, knows he’s the Queen’s brother, knows he’s the son of a royal guardsman who fell in love with his charge. The paper changes nothing.

The second one grants the title of Duchess to Marin, and all the lands their house sits upon. This one too, is familiar. She tried to make this his wedding present, and he said no then, too.

The final document however, is new, and his brain struggles to comprehend it at first. This one is not to be signed by him, the space for a signature beside his sister’s is marked with the name of his daughter. It is a decree that, per her father’s title, she is now Sorrel Rosa Valencia Leveret of Houses Hyrule and Cyneweard, Crown Princess and Heir Absolute to the throne of Hyrule and its Kingdoms.

Fable stares at him, and the look in her eyes is almost desperate.

He signs the first two, because something in his gut tells him he’ll regret it if he turns her down this time. The moment he drops the quill, his sister holds him, practically on the verge of tears, and thanks him. The coral-curls of his daughter are already being herded through the door by the two guards that fetched him earlier.

She wasted no time. She knew he was going to say yes. His sister always said she’d make him agree one day.

But the reason why sits laden in his gut, and as he leaves the castle hours later with his bewildered and overwhelmed  _ princess _ daughter, the weight turns to consuming fear.

It was the last time he saw his sister alive.

She is dead a week later.

Just a fever, she said, whilst dying.

Just preparing for the future, she said, whilst dying.

Just looking out for Hyrule, she said,  _ whilst dying. _

She didn’t fucking tell him, and he should’ve known.


End file.
